SEOUL – South Korean college student Yim Ji-su sacrificed up to two hours of sleep each morning for her laborious makeup routine – from applying foundation and concealer to perming her shoulder-length hair.
But about six months ago, she joined a growing group of young women who have ditched makeup and cut their hair to rebel against the long-held beauty ideals they claim to have been subjected to in dominated South Korea. by men.
The phenomenon has sparked debate in the beauty-obsessed nation, and brands are rethinking their marketing strategies to respond to the growing movement.
“We are not dolls, we are human beings,” said Yim, a third-year Korean literature student at the Thomson Reuters Foundation in the capital Seoul.
She was naked and sported a buzz cut.
“Escaping that corset makes it feel like I’m myself again,” she said, adding that a number of students on her campus had also jumped on the bandwagon.
South Korea’s vast array of skin care and cosmetic products has earned the industry the name “K-beauty”, a term reminiscent of the nickname “K-pop” which refers to the booming pop music scene.
South Korea has emerged as one of the top 10 beauty markets in the world, according to global market research firm Mintel, with many women going to the extreme of plastic surgery to achieve beauty standards uniforms.
But it’s also known as a socially conservative country – it has one of the worst gender pay gaps among developed countries, and is ranked 115 out of 149 countries in the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Gender Gap report.
In this context, women’s dissatisfaction with patriarchal aspects of society has slowly increased.
“I would kill myself”
Tens of thousands of women took to the streets of Seoul last year to protest the phenomenon of spy camera pornography, where victims were illegally filmed while changing or having sex.
Around the same time, a small group of women also began to join what is known as the ‘Escape the corset’ movement, taking to social media to post pictures of themselves. destroy their cosmetics.
YouTube star Lina Bae used to offer makeup tutorials on the video-sharing site, but in a viral video last June she revealed the dark side of rigid beauty standards and the ridiculousness she has had to endure. .
In his video, which garnered nearly 7 million views, Bae said some viewers told him “I’d kill myself if I were you” and “I didn’t know the pig can make up for it.”
She said many women were so insecure about their appearance that they had to wear makeup even for a short trip to nearby supermarkets.
“I’m not pretty but I’m fine,” Bae, real name Bae Eun-jeong, said, wiping off her bronze eyeshadow and lipstick in the video.
“I will not be able to wear this corset indefinitely,” she added.
Despite the growing movement, analysts have said the K beauty industry is not expected to be affected, and data from Mintel has shown it is expected to reach a retail market value of $ 11.4 billion in 2019, against 10.7 billion dollars in 2018.
“(This is) a movement emerging among the younger South Korean generations today, but it is a trend that has yet to reach the mainstream,” said Hwa Jun Lee, senior beauty analyst. at Mintel in Seoul.
But he cautioned brands not to take the trend lightly.
Some companies have already started to respond to the growing movement by moving away from existing rigid beauty standards to emphasize minimalism, with “all-in-one” beauty products that simplify skin care routines. , Lee said.
Popular Korean cosmetics brand Missha, meanwhile, featured a short-haired female model in one of their latest commercials, and other local brands like LAKA are the same.
“While still in its infancy, it’s important for brands to note that the ‘Escape the corset’ movement has the potential to grow further in the future,” the analyst said.
Sustained effort
Supporters of the movement have said that ditching makeup is just the start of greater pressure for greater gender equality as South Korean women face sexism every day.
“It’s about women’s choice … The movement aims to change our daily culture,” said Shin Ji-ye, a 28-year-old politician who made headlines last year when she spoke. ran for the post of mayor of Seoul, but lost.
But activist Heather Barr said it would take a long time for feminists in South Korea to secure greater rights for women, including the introduction of stricter legislation against abuse and sexual harassment.
“(It) will take a sustained effort, but they show no sign of giving up,” the senior women’s rights researcher told global watchdog Human Rights Watch.
